The Potential of Thymus serpyllum Essential Oil as an Antibacterial Agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Preservation of Sous Vide Red Deer Meat

Foodborne infections caused by microbes are a serious health risk. Regarding this, customer preferences for "ready-to-eat" or minimally processed (MP) deer meat are one of the main risk factors. Given the health dangers associated with food, essential oil (EO) is a practical substitute used to decrease pathogenic germs and extend the shelf-life of MP meals. Nonetheless, further data regarding EO use in MP meals are required. In order to evaluate new, safer alternatives to chemicals for disease control and food preservation, this research was carried out in the following areas to assess the antibacterial and antibiofilm characteristics of <i>Thymus serpyllum</i> (TSEO) essential oil, which is extracted from dried flowering stalks. Furthermore, this study applied an essential oil of wild thyme and inoculated the sous vide deer meat with <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> for seven days at 4 °C in an effort to prolong its shelf-life. Against <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, the essential oil exhibited potent antibacterial action. The findings of the minimal biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) crystal violet test demonstrated the substantial antibiofilm activity of the TSEO. The TSEO modified the protein profiles of bacteria on glass and plastic surfaces, according to data from MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Moreover, it was discovered that <i>P. aeruginosa</i> was positively affected by the antibacterial properties of TSEO. The anti-<i>Pseudomonas</i> activity of the TSEO was marginally higher in vacuum-packed sous vide red deer meat samples than in control samples. The most frequently isolated species from sous vide deer meat, if we do not consider the applied bacteria <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, were <i>P. fragi, P. lundensis</i>, and <i>P. taetrolens</i>. These results highlight the antibacterial and antibiofilm qualities of TSEO, demonstrating its potential for food preservation and extending the shelf-life of deer meat.